T's Stuff: ZOMBIE SCHOOL LOCKDOWN by Grivante

Author: Grivante

Narrator: Ian McEuen

Series: The Zee Brothers: Zombie Exterminators, Book 2

Length: 3 hour 30 minutes

Publisher: Grivante Press

Released: Oct. 30, 2017

Genre: Horror, Action/Adventure

The Zee Brothers suit up for their second adventure. This time answering the call from a local charter school that fears they may have an outbreak amongst their students.

The brothers find themselves trapped inside the school, with no weapons, scared children and a host of hungry and toxic undead.

They improvise with the help of the school lunch lady and a rather intelligent young student to try and stop the toxic infection from getting out of hand. The aftermath leads Jonah, Judas and JJ to a small farm on the outside of town, where they find the cause of the outbreak with mysterious links to the brother's past.

Grivante writes sci-fi, fantasy, horror and post-apocalyptic fiction with a writing style that bounces between comedy and action-packed horror, most often mixing together to create things like Zombie Omelets and Spleen Soup.

He is best known for his Zee Brothers: Zombie Exterminator series, a comedic horror series that both celebrates and pokes fun at everything that makes zombie pop culture cool.

His publishing company Grivante Press focuses on publishing page-turning speculative fiction.

He loves things like George Romero’s “Of The Dead” movies and Robert Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead” and feels there are many authors telling those types of stories well. He’ll leave that type of story telling to them and keep focused on the weird gonzo-action filled tales he likes to write and his readers like to read!

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Bred in a test tube in a far distant future, Ian is a prototype never meant for mass production. A rare genetic hybrid of opera singer, actor, narrator, rock vocalist, and electronic music producer, he travelled back in time to join forces with Earth’s last and best hope: the underpaid, under-appreciated, and oft misunderstood writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Since then, he has narrated over 20 audiobooks, voiced characters in video games and cartoons, and melted many a face with his powerful vocals.

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The Zee Brothers and JJ are back. This time they are called in on a case at a local school. It all started when Little Tommy was sent to the nurses office with a tummy ache. Tommy didn't just have a tummy ache though. The nurse calls the Zee Brothers. When the Brothers and JJ arrive they get more then they bargained for. Not just has Tommy been turned Zombie but they find a full fledged outbreak on their hands. Problem is all of their weapons are in the van, outside of the school, and they are locked in.

I love these Zee Brothers stories. This is my 2nd and can't wait for a 3rd. This is not your ordinary Zombie book. It is filled with funny redneck humor. I listened to the audiobook and Ian McEwan does an amazing job of bringing this story to life. Both of the books have been short reads but Grivante fills the page with humor and action. These books are not really for kids there is a good bit of foul language and this one even has a touch of sex.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Grivante. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Q&A with Author Ian McEuen

How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
- I have always wanted to do voice acting for cartoons and video games. That is one of my biggest dreams. However, my first great passion was for classical music, specifically opera. Once I got to the point in my opera career that I had extra time (and needed extra income!), I decided to take the plunge into the world of voiceover. I saw a huge slew of opportunities in the audiobook world, so I decided that would be the best place to start. Now I do it full-time when I am not singing!
A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
- It really depends on what you are narrating. If you want to do technical books or educational stuff, I don't think you necessarily need to be a theatre person. However, anytime anyone comes to me asking about how to start narrating, the first thing I recommend is acting training. No matter what story you are telling, whether it be the story of a sorcerer's rise to power or the life cycle of a honeybee, it is important to be compelling. Last time I checked, nobody wants to be bored to tears by an audiobook. You want your audience to care about the material. Acting training can only help make that happen.
What type of training have you undergone?
- I have a BFA and MM in voice performance. I did my undergraduate training at Carnegie Mellon University, where I was fortunate enough to study acting with teachers from the School of Drama. I also took a course on digital audio production, which really helped give me a leg-up on the production end of things.
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- I am indeed an audiobook listener! Believe it or not, I am an abysmally slow reader (thanks, ADHD). I absolutely love reading, but oftentimes I end up not finishing my leisure time books because of how long it takes me. Also, I already have to do a LOT of reading just to keep up with this job. Audiobooks not only allow me to "read" stuff in my free time, the performative nature of them whets my appetite for drama.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating an audiobook?
- Favorite: funny voices and accents! Least favorite: the arduous editing and post-production process. You asked about burnout? Yeah, editing can be VERY tedious.
What about this title compelled you to audition as narrator?
- I am a sucker for dark/macabre comedy. The combination of horror and absurdity in movies like Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, Drag me to Hell, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, and Zombieland really speaks to my oddball soul. So when I saw the first Zombie Exterminators title on ACX, I simply HAD to audition.
What would you say are your strongest narration abilities?
- I have an ear and a mind for language, and by extension, accents and dialects. Besides my ability to develop authentic accents for characters, I am good at making sure the characters are different enough that the listener doesn't get lost. I know how to manipulate my voice in many ways, to get many different kinds of characters. I also think I have pretty good comedic timing, which definitely helps with the Zee Brothers!
Who is your “dream author” that you would like to record for?
- Neil Gaiman. 100%
If you could narrate one book from your youth what would it be and why?
- The Hobbit. It was the first book that I truly fell in love with. Remember how I said I am a suuuuuuper slow reader? Yeah, it wasn't any better when I was a kid! The fact that I finished this book in just a few days was MONUMENTAL. It would be amazing to revisit that story. It is so close to my heart.
What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
- I don't usually say someone's opinion is wrong...but yeah, those people are wrong. Audiobooks are a completely valid way to experience literature. You don't lose any of the material, do you? In fact, the material can be elevated in exciting new ways through a great narrator's performance. If audiobooks aren't for you, they aren't for you...but I think its silly to call them "cheating." Let people enjoy things, guys. Please.
Bonus question: Any funny anecdotes from inside the recording studio?
- Recently, I saved up enough money to get a truly professional sound booth. Before that glorious day, my "studio" was a bedroom closet lined with pillows, blankets, and foam. Not the classiest of offices. The first time I set up in my closet, my dear cat Miles was VERY concerned as to why I had shut myself in there. He started yowling to wake the dead...which isn't exactly ideal when recording an audiobook. So, I let him in with me....aaaaand he started purring loudly. I ended up having to go play with him to wear him out so he would hush up and take a nap!